Machine for shrinking hat bats



Jan. 28, 1941. F. 1.. SCHMELTZ MACHINE FOR SHBINKING HAT BATS 2Sheets-Sheet 1 :Ir. 0 N I m O H M. 0 I: L "H m I I a .Z i n 1 1| a g h M0/0 l o o F w 'Ja.n. 2s, 1.941;

F. L. SCHMELTZ MACHINE FOR SHRINKING HAT BATS Filed Nov; 17, 1957 2Sheets-Sheet 2 I ua 616512;;

awe whom HMEL T Z FRANK L. J0

Patented Jan. 28, 1941 UNITED STATES PTENT OFFICE MACHINE FOR SHRINKIENGHAT BATS Application November 17, 1937, Serial No. 175,051

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to the shrinking of felt hats-for example,bats from which felt hats are made-and it has particular reference tothe method of and a machine for eifecting the starting operation on thehat bats; this operation following the hardening of the hat in the usualmanner. While the invention is particularly adapted for use in thestarting operation, it is not limited thereto.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved machine andmethod by which hat bats and the like may be economically, effectively,and correctly started preliminary to subsequent felting or shrinkingoperations requiring a more severe action.

A further object is the accomplishment of this starting by a machinewherein the hat bats are subjected to a series of blows, some of whichare relatively more rapid than others; the hat bat being rotated so thatit is simultaneously subjected to the two types of blows.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more indetail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combination of elements, and arrangement of parts which will beexemplified in the construction hereafter set forth and the scope of theapplication of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate one embodiment which thepresent invention may take:

Figure l is a plan view of the machine;

Fig. 2 is an end view thereof; and

Fig. 3 is a somewhat diagrammatic end view showing the cages andpressure rolls with the hat bat therebetween.

Referring to the drawings, the machine has a suitable frame 9 in whichare mounted, on parallel axes, cages A and B; the cages being so shapedas to form a pocket or seat therebetween,

adapted to receive the roll C of bats to be manipulated. The cages arerespectively carried by shafts Ill and II shaft to being provided at oneend with a pulley 12 which may be belt-driven to operate the machine.The opposite end of shaft Ill is provided with a gear I3 which mesheswith an idler M which, in turn, meshes with a gear l5 on the end ofshaft H. In this way, when pulley I2 is rotated to turn shaft Ill in acounterclockwise direction, shaft II will be rotated simultaneously inthe same direction through the gear chain l3, l4, and I5.

In accordance with the present invention, cage A is provided with a pairof oppositely disposed heads l6 which are secured to the shaft and areinterconnected by a plurality of longitudinally extending rods I? whichpreferably have a circular cross section. In the embodiment shown, cageA is provided with thirty-two of these rods, although this number mayvary according to the size of the machine. The rods are spaced apart adistance approximately equal to a radius thereof.

The cage B is similarly formed with oppositely 1 disposed heads l8 and aplurality of interconnesting longitudinal rods l9 also preferably ofcircular cross section. However, the rods l9 are of larger diameter thanthe rods ll of cage A; the cage 3 in this instance being provided withtwenty such rods; the rods being spaced apart a distance approximatelyequal to the radius thereof. With this arrangement, the ratio of rods oncage A to that of cage B is approximately three to two, and, as aresult, when the hat bat C rests in the pocket therebetween, theperiphery thereof will be simultaneously engaged by more of the rods llof cage A than of the rods IQ of cage B.

In order to maintain the bats C in contact with the rolls, there areprovided pressure rolls 2!] and 2|. These rolls are automatically raisedand lowered in timed relation to the stopping and starting of themachine, as hereinafter described in detail. In the present illustrativedisclosure, the roll is carried by a pivoted frame or carrier comprisinga pair of arms 22 fixed to a rock shaft 23 journalled in brackets 36.The other pressure roll 2| is carried by a shaft 24, the ends orgudgeons of which extend into vertical slots provided in the arms 22.

Means are provided for permitting adjustment of the pressure rolls so asto accommodate rolls of bats of various sizes. To this end, one of thearms 22 is adjustably connected to a lever or link 31 which is mountedon the shaft 23 for angular adjustment. One end of the lever 31 ispivotally connected to a yoke member 38. The adjustable connectionbetween the arm and the lever 31 consists of a bolt 39 carried by thelever and extending through a slot 40 in the arm.

The numeral 45 designates a cam shaft on which are mounted theinstrumentalities for controlling the clutch sleeve 34 and the movementof the arms 22 to and from operative position. This cam shaft is drivenfrom the cage shaft ill through the train of gears 4E, 41, 48, and 49.The gear 49, which is fixed to the cam shaft, has, on its outer face, aprojection or trip '59 which is adapted to engage a projection 5| on thecam lever to throw this lever in a direction to disengage the clutchafter the machine has been in operation for a predetermined time. Fixedto the cam shaft is a cam 55 which is adapted to engage a roller 56 onthe lower end of the yoke 38 so as to raise the pressure rolls to thedotted line position shown in Fig. 2 just before the trip disengages theclutch 34.

The operation of .the machine is as follows: The bats, in moistenedcondition, are rolled up in the usual manner in a piece of burlap orfiannelthat is, four (to eight bats are laid one upon the other on theflannel and rolled up from tip to brim. The rolled assembly is placed inthe trough between the two cages in such position that, when the machineis in operation, the tendency will be to wind the assembly tighter. Theclutch is now thrown in by operating the clutch lever 35 through theinstrumentality of the handle 35a whereupon the cages will be driven,and the cam will move out of engagement with the roller 56 so that thepressure rolls will move from the inoperative position shown in dottedlines to the operative position shown in full lines, Fig. 2. After apredetermined time, say after the machine has been running for twelveseconds with the cages rotating at 56 R. P. M., the cam 55 raises thepressure rolls, and then the trip 50 throws the clutch so as to stop themachine. The roll of bats is taken from the machine, unrolled, turnedover bottom side up, and again rolled up from tip to brim and therewound assembly is placed in the machine and the operation repeated,after which the bats are rolled from one side to the other and placedback in the machine and then operated upon. Next, the bats are turnedover bottom side up and again rolled from side to side and manipulatedin the machine in this condition. The four operationsthat is, two tipsand two side rollsare called a round. The bats are now opened out flatand each bat is crozed or folded at a difiererrt place and then thebats, which have been on the outside, are placed in the center, and thecenter bats are placed on the outside so as to make a new pile for thesecond round.

During the operation of the machine, the rods of cage A give the bat arapid, but shallow, punching motion, and there is formed therein a wavecomprising crests adjacent each contacting rod and troughs intermediateof each contacting rod. Simultaneously, the cage B, though rotating at alike speed, subjects the bat to a slow, but deep, punching motionbecause of the fewer rods of greater diameter. As only two of the rodsIE will be contacting the bat, the resultant wave will be of greateramplitude; there being formed but two crests and one trough. As the batis rotated, the portion acted on by the rods of cage A is subsequentlyacted upon by the rods of cage B whereupon the felting motion resultingfrom the punches of cage A will be distributed over a difierent rangeand subjected to a different type of blow than when in contact with cageA. Thus, the cages, in effect, act upon the bats with a continuouswave-like or corrugated surface, and the bat is simultaneously subjectedto two different waves, one creating rapid shallow blows and the otherslow deep blows, and

each part of the bat successively receives each type of blow as it isrotated, thus maintaining a vibratory action which eiTects a shrinkingof the bats.

Despite the difference in the size of the rods, the action of themachine is very smooth, elastic, and gentle, and avoids shoves anddefective work. The spacing of the rods is of importance; it beingnecessary that they be so spaced that the hat bat will be in contactwith a substantial area thereof at all times; this being obtained, inthe present instance, by the narrow spacing between the succeeding rods.Thus, the machine will operate with a uniformity of pressure and motionon the hat bat.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and manyapparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be madewithout departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all mattercontained in [the above description or shown in the accompanyingdrawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitingsense.

It is also to be understood that the language used in the followingclaims is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features ofthe invention herein described and all statements of the scope of theinvention which, as a matter of language, might be said to falltherebetween.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a machine of the character described, a pair of cages arranged tosupport a roll of bats, each of said cages comprising a pair of spacedheads and longitudinally extending rods supported by said heads andspaced relatively close to one another; the rods of one of said cagesbeing of a greater diameter, but less in number, than the rods of theother cage.

2. In a machine of the character described, a pair of parallel cagesarranged to support a roll of bats, each of said cages comprising a pairof spaced heads and longitudinally extending rods supported by saidheads, the rods of one cage being of larger diameter than the rods ofthe other cage, and the other cage having a number of rods in excess ofthe first cage in an approximate ratio of three to two.

3. In a machine of the character described, a pair of parallel cagesarranged .to support a roll of bats, each of said cages comprising apair of spaced heads and longitudinally extending rods supported by saidheads and spaced relatively close to one another, the rods of one cagebeing of a larger diameter but of a lesser number than the rods of theother cage, and means for exerting pressure upon the roll of batssupported between said cages.

4. In a machine of .the character described, a pair of parallel cagesarranged to support a roll of bats, each of said cages comprising a pairof spaced heads, and longitudinally extending rods supported by saidheads and spaced relatively close to one another; the rods being of alarger diameter but of lesser number than the rods of the other cage andthe spacing between the rods being less than the diameter of the rods.

FRANK L. SCHMELTZ.

